1-800-PACK-RAT

What 1-800-PACK-RAT does

1-800-PACK-RAT is a U.S. portable storage and moving company founded in 2001-2002 and headquartered in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It rents all-steel, weatherproof portable storage containers in three sizes (8-foot, 12-foot, and 16-foot) to residential, commercial, military, and restoration customers across 87+ nationwide storage facility locations. The containers feature ground-level loading, barn-style doors, and a patented lift system capable of raising fully loaded units without swaying or shifting — a technical differentiator versus wood-and-plastic competitor containers, which the company positions as less weatherproof and durable.

The company operates a direct-to-consumer model combining a national call center (1-800-722-5728), online self-service quoting, a My PackRat customer portal, and a dedicated business solutions team for commercial accounts. Revenue is generated through monthly container rental (both on customer driveways and in company warehouses) plus transactional fees for local and long-distance moves; the company explicitly markets month-to-month flexibility, best-price guarantees, a 10% military discount, and up to 25% promo-code discounts on new orders. Specialized verticals include military DITY/PPM relocations (with up to 90 days storage reimbursement compatibility), commercial business storage, and 48-hour emergency restoration storage for remediation contractors.

Since 2018 the company has operated as a division of Zippy Shell Incorporated following a merger brokered by Virgo Investment Group. The portfolio of sub-brands — including Zippy Shell, Storage Squad (college students), Campus Crates, and Ace Moving & Storage — extends the platform across customer segments. In May 2024, Carlyle provided $180 million in preferred-equity transitional capital to the parent, and the company has continued to invest in container assets, additional locations, and marketing partnerships (most recently a multi-race NASCAR sponsorship with Richard Childress Racing in early 2026). Michael Duffy was appointed CFO in November 2025.

Name

1-800-PACK-RAT

Legal name

1-800-PACK-RAT, LLC

Website

https://1800packrat.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

1-800-PACK-RAT provides all-steel, weatherproof portable storage containers in three sizes for local and long-distance moving, residential storage, commercial storage, military relocations, and restoration services, serving customers across 87+ U.S. locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Portable Storage & Moving Services

NAICS

Used Household and Office Goods Moving (484210), General Warehousing and Storage (493110)

SIC

Public Warehousing & Storage (4220), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Portable Storage Container Rental & Moving (HSAKAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Warehouse-Hosted Portable Storage (Off-Site Storage + Redelivery) (HSAKAIAD), Portable Storage Container Delivery, Pickup & Repositioning Services (HSAKAIAE)

Keywords

• Portable storage containers
• Moving services
• Residential storage solutions
• Commercial storage solutions
• Long-distance moving

Headquarters

HQ city

Wake Forest

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Portable Storage Container Rental: Monthly rental of portable storage containers delivered to customer location for on-site storage or transport. Containers can be kept at home for driveway storage or stored in company warehouses.
2. Local Moving Services: Local moving services using portable containers where company handles transportation of containers between locations
3. Long-Distance Moving Services: Cross-country containerized moving services with company handling all transportation logistics
4. Business/Commercial Storage Solutions: Commercial storage containers for businesses including inventory storage, asset protection, and 24/7 on-site access
5. Restoration & Remediation Storage: Specialized storage services for restoration companies with 48-hour delivery available for emergency situations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

1-800-PACK-RAT rents all-steel, weatherproof portable storage containers (8-foot, 12-foot, and 16-foot) delivered to customer locations for self-paced packing, with ground-level loading and barn-style doors. The company transports the loaded containers locally or across the country for moves, or stores them at customer driveways or in its nationwide warehouse network for short- or long-term storage needs.

Product overview

1-800-PACK-RAT operates as a portable storage and moving platform offering all-steel, weatherproof containers in three sizes (8-foot, 12-foot, 16-foot). The core portfolio centers on portable storage containers supplemented by local and long-distance moving services, residential and commercial storage solutions, and specialized offerings for military moves and restoration companies. The platform provides self-service tools including My PackRat (online account management) and a Space Calculator. The company also maintains sub-brands including Zippy Shell (portable storage solutions), Storage Squad (college student moving), and Ace Moving and Storage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Storage Squad: Focused on moving and storage services for college students.
• Zippy Shell

Products and services

• Portable Storage Containers All-steel, weatherproof portable storage containers available in three sizes (8-foot, 12-foot, and 16-foot) for moving and storage, featuring ground-level loading, barn-style doors, and a patented lift system.
• Local Moving Services Portable moving containers delivered to customers' doorsteps for local moves across town, allowing customers to pack at their own pace while the company handles transportation.
• Long-Distance Moving Services Cross-country moving containers transported across state lines, with all-steel weatherproof containers keeping belongings safe for any distance.
• Residential Storage Solutions On-site portable storage containers for temporary or long-term home storage needs, kept at customers' properties or in company warehouses with 85+ nationwide facilities.
• Business Storage Solutions Commercial storage containers and moving solutions for businesses needing short or long-term storage for inventory and assets with 24/7 on-site access.
• Restoration & Remediation Storage On-site storage solutions for restoration companies dealing with water, fire, storm, or repair situations, with 48-hour delivery available for restoration customers.
• Military Moving (DITY/PPM)

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 25% discount available with SAVE25 promo code
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• The McLemore BoyscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 March 2026Content partnership with father-son grilling duo celebrated for backyard cooking content and family-focused storytelling. Celebrates the power of portable storage through integrated content.
• Richard Childress RacingflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026Multi-race, multi-series partnership making 1-800-PACK-RAT the Official Moving and Storage Partner of RCR. Company will be a multi-race primary sponsor in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
• Campus CratescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2022Acquisition of Campus Crates in December 2022 to expand collegiate service offerings for college student moving and storage needs.
• Zippy Shell IncorporatedflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20182018 merger with Zippy Shell Incorporated through Virgo Investment Group. Combined entity operates under 1-800-PACK-RAT, LLC with Zippy Shell as a division. Zippy Shell specializes in moving and storage solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• U-Haul: U-Haul's U-Box portable storage container service and trailer-rental network compete with 1-800-PACK-RAT for moving and storage customers. As a much larger incumbent with national infrastructure, U-Haul sets the competitive floor for brand awareness and DIY-moving pricing.
• Extra Space Storage: Extra Space Storage is a large national self-storage REIT that competes with 1-800-PACK-RAT's warehouse-hosted storage business for customers needing longer-term storage. It represents the traditional self-storage alternative against which 1-800-PACK-RAT positions its portable, door-delivered offering.
• Public Storage: Public Storage is the largest US self-storage REIT and competes for customers who would otherwise use a portable storage service for ongoing storage needs. 1-800-PACK-RAT's own website compares against traditional storage facilities, highlighting the substitution dynamic.
• ABF Freight: ABF Freight (parent of U-Pack) is a major less-than-truckload carrier that has expanded into containerized moving and storage. It is comparable in that it operates a national network serving long-distance moving customers, with the U-Pack service as the directly overlapping product line.

Direct peers

• Go Mini's: Go Mini's offers portable storage container rental and moving services with similar ground-level loaded containers delivered to customer locations. It targets overlapping residential and commercial customers with comparable container-based pricing.
• U-Pack: U-Pack (an ArcBest/ABF Freight service) provides containerized long-distance moving with a comparable customer profile and pricing model to 1-800-PACK-RAT's long-distance moving line. It is explicitly called out by 1-800-PACK-RAT as a primary competitive comparison.
• UNITS Moving and Portable Storage: UNITS provides national portable storage and moving container services in direct competition with 1-800-PACK-RAT. Its container sizes, delivery model, and target customer base (residential and commercial movers) closely mirror 1-800-PACK-RAT's offering.
• PODS: PODS is the largest direct competitor in portable storage container rental and moving in the US, offering similar ground-level loaded steel-container services to residential and commercial customers. 1-800-PACK-RAT's own website features a 'Compare Us to PODS' page, underscoring head-to-head competition.
• SmartBox Moving & Storage: SmartBox delivers portable storage containers for local and long-distance moves, targeting residential and military customers — a customer overlap (notably military DITY/PPM) that is a key segment for 1-800-PACK-RAT. Competes on similar containerized service economics.

Regional players

• StorageMart: StorageMart operates self-storage facilities across the US and competes with 1-800-PACK-RAT's warehouse storage arm for customers who want dedicated storage space. It is a meaningful regional/specialty player in the storage alternative that 1-800-PACK-RAT's portable model is positioned against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/1800packrat
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/1800PACKRATVIDEO
• Facebookfacebook.com/1800packrat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1-800-pack-rat
• Instagraminstagram.com/1800packrat
• TikToktiktok.com/@1800packratmoves
• Pinterestpinterest.com/1800packrat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 1-800-PACK-RAT